A shopworker was lucky to escape serious injury after he was thrown on to the bonnet of a van driven by a shoplifter fleeing from a DIY store.

The 21-year-old man was trying to stop the thief as he tried to get away from the Homebase store at Tollgate in Stanway at 3pm yesterday

The man, who works at the DIY centre, was carried on the bonnet of the car as it drove away at high speed, and police have said he could easily have been killed.

Staff had spotted a man trying to leave the store without paying for a £300 high-pressure steam washer, but when they tried to stop him he ran off.

He got into a white Ford Escort van and drove off, but had to stop because of heavy traffic.

In a heroic effort, the store worker stood in front of the van and told the shoplifter to stop, but the driver accelerated forwards and the man was thrown on to the bonnet.

PC Kelvin Westall, of Stanway traffic police, said: "If he had thrown him off it would have been a serious injury or even fatal there are no two ways about it.

The man was finally thrown off at the London Road roundabout and the van sped off towards Copford where it was last seen heading into School Road.

The man received an injury to his hand, but was otherwise unharmed.

If anyone can help, they should contact him on 01206 575322

Published Monday, December 16, 2002

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